Method and apparatus for content management

ABSTRACT

The present application relates generally to content management (e.g., management of audio, video and/or imagery). One claim recites a method including: tracking up to N identifiers associated with previously accessed content items, where N is an integer, and where each previously accessed content item has an identifier associated therewith; reviewing rendering rules associated with a new content item or with an identifier associated with the new content item; and restricting access to the new content item if the rendering rules are not met or satisfied. The rendering rules include one or more rules allowing access to the new content item if: i) its identifier is one of the N identifiers associated with the previously accessed content items, or ii) less than N content items have been accessed within a predetermined time. Of course, other claims, implementations and embodiments are provided as well.

RELATED APPLICATION DATA

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/080,352, filed Mar. 14, 2005 (published as US 2005-0216513 A1), whichis a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/522,312, filedMar. 9, 2000 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,868,497), which claims the benefit ofU.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/123,587, filed Mar. 10, 1999.Each of these patent documents is hereby incorporated herein byreference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

With the influx of digital compression schemes, digital media copiers,digital playing devices, and the Internet, it has become relativelysimple to illegally copy and distribute digital content. Therefore,content providers want to allow only the person who bought content toaccess (i.e. play, copy or record) that content. One way to do this isto provide content that contains an ID, and lock the ID to the consumer,the rendering device or the storage unit. However, these existingsolutions of how to use the ID produce unreasonable burdens forconsumers.

One existing solution, known as user-binding, requires a person to carryan ID-card and/or remember a personal identification number (PIN) toaccess the content, similar to the way bank ATM machines work. Theconsumer has accepted this solution in order to access money in thebank, a situation where security is an advantage to the consumer too.However, it is doubtful that consumers will accept this requirement toaccess content, for example, play audio on a car stereo. In addition,when a group of people are sharing content, such as music, the processof each person having to scan a card before listening to their music isobtrusive. Finally, this solution requires data that links the ID to theuser, so PINs and/or ID-cards can be produced. This data means theuser's privacy has been compromised.

Another existing solution restricts playing of the content to onedevice, known as player-binding. This solution means your friend's musicwill not play in your car stereo, neither will your movie play at hishouse. This solution is not only inconvenient to the consumer, but alsoreduces the sale of content since many people buy content after playingor viewing it with their friends.

A final solution links the content to the storage unit, known asmedia-binding. The storage unit includes but is not limited to amagnetic hard drive, optical disk or electronic memory. This solutionbecomes cumbersome when the content should be allowed to move betweendifferent storage unit types. For example, a user, Joe, may want to playhis audio from his computer's hard drive over his home stereo, or havethe audio in his car or on a jog as portable electronic memory. However,with this media-binding solution, this audio can only be played in oneplace, and to move it from Joe's stereo to his car, he has to rememberto where it was “checked out”, otherwise, piracy cannot be controlled.Importantly, he can't just listen to it from each place as desirable tothe consumer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the invented process and apparatus ease the fashion inwhich consumers legitimately access protected content while controllingpiracy. The basic concept is that the content contains an ID that locksit to a particular user or broadcast and the rendering deviceautomatically determines whether the content can be accessed based uponthe current and previously rendered IDs and rules. This invention shouldresult in increased sales of content for the content providers.

The invented process involves the rendering device keeping track of theIDs contained in both the current and previously accessed content. Thisallows the rendering device to control access to new content based uponthe new content's ID, the rules provided with the content (by thecontent providers) and/or within the device, and the IDs from previouslyrendered content by the device.

The ID may be linked to the user or the broadcast. User IDs work wellfor content that is sold for a user's continued use, whereas broadcastIDs work well for content recorded by the user from a broadcast.

An example implementation of the invented process is as follows. Foruser-linked content, the rendering device includes constraints thatlimit the number of content tracks with different user IDs that can beaccessed in a certain amount of time, possibly influenced by the numberof times content with each user ID has already been accessed. Forbroadcast content, broadcast IDs and the optionally included rules canbe used to limit rendering or copying of each broadcast. In other words,with broadcast IDs, the limits are based upon date or number of timesthat ID is played, not on the total number of broadcast IDs.

More specifically, a portable MP3 player can keep track of each song'suser ID, and if the previously played songs contain more than Ndifferent user IDs, the player decides if it can replace an old user IDwith the new one due to the old user ID's date and number of times songswith that ID have been played. Similarly, if a broadcast ID is containedin memory, the MP3 player notes that the user has played the audio Xtimes and Y times is allowed by the broadcast, or the date is past thebroadcast's allowable usage date.

To this end, it is easy for the consumer to use the device, as he/she isnot required to posses an ID card. In addition, there is no need for aglobal database linking the user to the ID; thus, the user's privacy isnot compromised. For example, if a user looses his/her ID, it can beobtained from previous content. However, the user or broadcast ID can bekept secret and other privacy methods can be used with this invention.Most importantly, access to the media is limited, as the contentproviders wish, but the user is not inconvenienced.

The apparatus to implement this process includes a logic processor andmemory, where it is desirable if the memory maintains its state when thedevice is without power. Most devices will already contain logicprocessors for rendering the content, and this process may beimplemented on those processors and share time cycles with the otherresponsibilities of that processor. Importantly, the cost of thehardware to implement this process is minimal since the process is sosimple, as desired by the device manufacturers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an overview of the process of automatic ID management.

FIG. 2 is the pseudo-code for implementing an exemplar automatic IDmanagement process.

FIG. 3 is the apparatus to implement automatic ID management.

FIG. 4 is a portable MP3 audio player containing the apparatus.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Lets begin with some definitions. The rendering device is the devicethat can play, view, record or perform a similar action upon the data.The rendering device can provide any type of perceived data, includingbut not limited to images, audio and video. If the rendering device hasa portable section, such as with a MP3 player, the loader, which putsthe content onto the rendering device, is considered as part of therendering device. The ID may be a user or broadcast ID. For example,many MP3 players can also record broadcasts, and these broadcasts will,in the future, contain embedded broadcast IDs, possibly as watermarks orheader data with digital broadcasts. Content refers to the desiredaudio, video, image, or other relevant perceived data. Content providersinclude but are not limited to record labels, movie studios, andindependent artists. The ID may be embedded within the content such asbits in the header file or a watermark, or the ID can be linked to theencryption and decryption of the content. Finally, this automatic IDmanagement may be used in conjunction with other methods, such asmedia-binding.

FIG. 1 displays an overview of the automatic ID management process. Inthe process, the rendering device 100 keeps track of the IDs containedwithin the content it has previously accessed (box 110). The rules 120may be provided in the device hardware and/or contained with thecontent. The rules 120 decide whether or not the device can access thenew content based upon its ID (box 130).

If the rendering device has a portable section, such as with a MP3player, the loader, defined above as part of the rendering device, canbe used to lower the amount of memory required within the portablesection, thus lowering its costs. This means that with a portablerendering device, the portable section may contain all of the memory andprocessing hardware (described in detail below) required to perform thisautomatic ID handling, or the hardware may be split between the loaderand portable section. For example, when a computer uses a softwareloader to put MP3 files onto a portable MP3 player, the loader may storeall the information about IDs on the computer and all the renderingdevice needs to do is count the number of times each song is played andmaintain date information for its current list of content.

FIG. 2 displays the pseudo-code to implement an example of the process.In this example, the rules 120 include constraints 245, which arecontained within the content as specified by the content provider, aswell as default rules contained with the rendering device hardware. Theconstraints 245 are retrieved from the content 200 (box 240). Theconstraints 245 may limit the number of content tracks with differentIDs that a device can access during a set time-period. The constraints245 may also change the time-period an ID is stored dependent upon thenumber of times content with a specific ID was accessed. The constraints245 may be embedded within the content or attached as a headerinformation or a linked file.

For ease-of-use, it is better to not change these constraints per songbecause it may confuse the user. Ideally, the constraints should beagreed upon and set in the rendering device. However, including therules in the content is a viable option for this invention.

Before describing the details of this exemplar process, it is importantto understand the apparatus that implements the automatic ID managementprocess (FIG. 3). The hardware includes a logic processor 300 and amemory 310. The logic processor 300 may be defined as the equivalent ofa digital signal processor (DSP), general-purpose central processingunit (CPU), or a specialized CPU, including media processors. A likelyDSP chip is one of the Texas Instruments TMS320 product line. A CPUcould include one of Intel's Pentium line or Motorola/IBM's PowerPCproduct line. The design of code for controlling logic processor 300 issimple for someone familiar with the state of the art given the abovepseudo-code and description.

In addition, a person familiar with the state of the art could implementthe logic processor 300 using analog and digital circuitry, eitherseparate or in an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). Theanalog and digital circuitry could include any combination of thefollowing devices: digital-to-analog converters (D/A), comparators,sample-and-hold circuits, delay elements, analog-to-digital converters(A/D), and programmable logic controllers (PLC).

The memory 310 stores the information required by rules 120, such asIDs, last play date, and the number of times that content with each IDhas been accessed. Memory 310 may consist of standard computer randomaccess memory (RAM). It is also desirable if memory 310 maintains thisinformation even without power in the rendering device, perhaps but notlimited to using ROM with backup and chargeable battery power, or memorythat is stable without power, such as EPROM. As discussed above, memory310 may consist of two separate modules when using a portable sectionand loader.

Now, back to a detailed description of the example process. It beginswith the device 100 receiving new content 200. From the content 200, anID 210 is retrieved. The ID 210 is checked to see if it is a user orbroadcast ID (box 215).

For user IDs, the following happens. If the ID 210 already exists in thememory 310 of device 100 (box 220), the play count and last access dateare updated (box 222) and the content 200 is rendered (box 230). If theID 210 does not exist in memory 310 (box 220), the rules 120 arechecked. If another ID can exist in memory 310 (box 250), ID 210 and thecurrent date are added to the memory 310 (box 260) and the content isrendered (box 230). If another ID cannot be added, the rules 120 arechecked to see if any existing IDs can be replaced because they are tooold (box 270). If any IDs can be replaced, the old ID is replaced withID 210 (box 280) and the content is rendered (box 230). If no IDs can bereplaced, the user may be warned and access to content 200 is denied orlimited (box 290). The user may also be presented with a link to buy thecontent (box 290).

More specifically, the rules may allow a device to store 10 IDs, and IDscan be replaced if they have not been accessed for a week.

In addition, the number of times an ID has been rendered could be usedto determine whether or not to replace the old ID with a new one (box270). This count value could influence the time period an ID is held ismemory 310; thus allowing ID 210 to replace a stored ID (boxes 270 and280). For example, if content associated with the stored ID has not beenaccessed in a week, it can be replaced. Conversely, if contentassociated with the stored ID has been played at least 7 times, itshould be held for at least a month since its last access.

There are many other simple rules that can be designed to meet thespecific needs of the content provider. Some may involve usingdifference equations to decide whether or not an ID can be replaced. Forexample, the count for an ID can be reduced by one each day andincremented by one for each rendering of content containing the ID, andthe ID can be replaced (box 270) if the count is zero or less, or thedate of last access is over a week.

For broadcast IDs, the following happens. The ID 210 is examined to seeif it already exists in memory 310 (box 255). If not, the ID 210 andcurrent date are added to the rendering devices memory 310 (box 265),and the content is rendered (box 230). If the ID 210 does exist inmemory, the play count, record date and/or last access date are checkedto see if the content can be rendered (box 275). The broadcast may allowonly two renders, or one week of rendering, or rendering until aspecific date. If the broadcast is allowed to be rendered, the count andlast access date are updated (box 285) and the content is accessed (box230). If the broadcast is not allowed to be rendered, the user isnotified, the access is limited and a link to buy the broadcast orsimilar content may be provided, if applicable (box 295).

In addition, the device should probably have some way to reset all ofthe information, such as IDs, date and count. The reset function mayrequire a password code that is pseudo-random, thus requiring the userto contact support to reset the device. For example, the password maydepend upon the day and year and obtained from an automation system. Thereset button may also delete all the current content as well as IDinformation. This allows people to use one portable player with manyfriends at a party, but the loss of content will discourage piracy sinceit will be cumbersome.

FIG. 4 shows a portable MP3 player 400 that contains the describedapparatus implementing the described pseudo-code. In this case, thelogic processor 300 could be a separate processor, or share access withthe processor that decompresses the audio. The device also contains thenecessary memory 310 to store the required information, such as ID, dataand count, possibly even when the player 400 is without power. Thedevice may share this memory with a software loader.

Finally, in any rendering device, the logic processor 300 could be aseparate processor or share time with the processor handling content forthe device, such as compressing or decompressing digital content.

In summary, the main advantage of this invention is that it will beeasier for consumers to access protected content than with prior-art IDmethods and apparatus. In addition, it provides the content protectiondesired by content providers, and minimal increase in cost for renderingdevices as desired by consumer electronic manufacturers.

The foregoing descriptions of the preferred embodiments of the inventionhave been presented to teach those skilled in the art how to bestutilize the invention. Many modifications and variations are possible inlight of the above teaching, such as other simple rules to meet specificcontent provider goals or combinations of portable and loader sections.To this end, the following claims define the scope and spirit of theinvention.

1. A method comprising: utilizing at least a processor or computingdevice, tracking up to N identifiers associated with previously accessedcontent items, where N is an integer, and where each previously accessedcontent item has an identifier associated therewith; reviewing renderingrules associated with a new content item or with an identifierassociated with the new content item; and restricting access to the newcontent item if the rendering rules are not met or satisfied, whereinthe rendering rules include one or more rules allowing access to the newcontent item if: i) an identifier associated with the new content itemis one of the N identifiers associated with the previously accessedcontent items, or ii) less than N content items have been accessedwithin a predetermined time.
 2. The method of claim 1 where N is decidedby the rendering rules associated with the new content.
 3. The method ofclaim 1 where N is decided by a rendering device.
 4. The method of claim1 wherein N comprises 10 or more.
 5. The method of claim 1 where theidentifier associated with the new content item is also associated witha user or broadcast.
 6. The method of claim 1 wherein the act ofrestricting restricts access via a consumer electronics device, andwherein the consumer electronic device comprises the processor orcomputing device.
 7. The method of claim 6 wherein the consumerelectronic device is located in a home or automobile.
 8. The method ofclaim 1 where at least one of the N identifiers can be replaced if acontent item associated with an identifier to be replaced has not beenaccessed for a predetermined period of time.
 9. The method of claim 8where the predetermined period of time is decided by the renderingrules.
 10. The method of claim 8 where the predetermined period of timeis decided by a rendering device.
 11. The method of claim 8 where thepredetermined period of time comprises at least one week.
 12. The methodof claim 8 where the predetermined period of time is influenced by anumber of times the content item associated with the identifier to bereplaced has been rendered.
 13. The method of claim 12 where if thecontent item associated with the identifier to be replaced has beenrendered at least a predetermined number of times, the identifier istracked for a longer time relative to other identifiers.
 14. The methodof claim 8 where the identifier also can be replaced dependent upon adifference equation involving an access or rendering count.
 15. Themethod of claim 14 where the access or rendering count for trackedidentifiers is decremented or reduced after the expiration of apredetermined time period, and the identifier also can be replaced if ithas a zero count.
 16. The method of claim 15 wherein the predeterminedtime period, comprises one day.
 17. An apparatus including: a logicprocessor, and memory, wherein the logic processor or memory includes:(a) a tracker to track up to N identifiers associated with previouslyaccessed content items, where N is an integer, and where each previouslyaccessed content item has an identifier associated therewith; (b) areviewer to review rendering rules associated with a new content item orwith an identifier associated with the new content item; and (c) acontroller to restrict access to the new content item if the renderingrules are not met or satisfied, wherein the rendering rules include oneor more rules allowing access to the new content item if: i) anidentifier associated with the new content item is one of the Nidentifiers associated with the previously accessed content items, orii) less than N content items have been accessed within a predeterminedtime.
 18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the identifier associatedwith the new content item is also associated with a user or broadcast.19. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the logic processor comprises adigital processor.
 20. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the logicprocessor comprises a combination of analog and digital circuitry. 21.The apparatus of claim 17 further comprising a user input to reset atleast one item from a group of items comprising: tracked identifiers,the predetermined time, and the rendering rules.
 22. The apparatus ofclaim 21 wherein the user input is password controlled.
 23. Theapparatus of claim 22 wherein the password is based at least in part ona pseudo-random sequence.
 24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein thepseudo-random sequence helps to ensure that a user contacts technicalsupport to reset the at least one item.
 25. The apparatus of claim 7wherein the apparatus comprises a consumer electronics device.
 26. Themethod of claim 25 where the consumer electronic device is located in ahome or automobile.